Escape
by Epona3
Summary: Missing scene from She Believes (513). Why was Auggie sitting next to the train tracks?


Running had never been Auggie's preferred getaway method.

As an active operative and soldier, he had run from many dangerous situations, but he preferred to work smarter. He had hidden behind a fruit stand in Turkey, stolen a Vespa in Italy, and smoothly hopped onto a passing train in Bulgaria.

Auggie thought through these options as he lay, bound, in the trunk of a car. The noise canceling headphones were off for a moment, and he could hear a train in the distance.

He wasn't sure if he could catch a train for escape, but if he could somehow evade his captors, perhaps he could follow the tracks to the next town and get help.

It was a weak plan, but he wasn't one to sit and wait for rescue.

The trunk opened and he was unceremoniously pulled out onto the gravel. Every muscle ached, but after a few steps that began to fade. They stepped off into dirt, he felt a tree branch brush his arm. There was hope.

They pushed him onto the ground. He quickly assessed the soundscape, as he heard one of the men say he forgot something, and would walk back to the car.

Auggie knew that he could wait for another opportunity, but the element of surprise was almost all he had. Nothing risked, nothing gained. Without even knowing if the other captor could see them, he swung his body around, pulling the legs of his lone captor out from under his body. Auggie was on top of him quickly, and more efficiently than he imagined possible, knocked the man unconscious.

He quickly searched the man's pockets for any weapons. He tucked the gun into his waistband and kept the large, functional knife in his hand. Moving as quickly as he could away from the car, he ran face-first into the thin branches of a mid-sized tree.

Jackpot.

He cut himself a reasonable cane, and headed further into the dense forest, hoping his path was less than obvious.

He was less than swift, but didn't hear any sign of being followed. He tried not to get too excited as he increased the distance between himself and his attackers.

A few minutes later he heard somebody coming behind him. With no other option, Auggie dove behind a tree and haphazardly covered himself in leaves. He held his breath as his pursuer walked by, then fought to stop shaking after realizing he had succeeded. He waited a little while longer, and the man returned, briskly walking to his car.

Clear of the first search by his captor and with no way to know how far he traveled, he could only keep on the path straight towards where he heard the earlier train. He was assisted by another train, helping him re-orient. Before long, the branches were gone and he was in what he assumed was a clearing.

He took a deep breath and walked forward, having no idea how exposed he might be. Within thirty steps, he was rewarded with the feel of gravel, and a foot further was the steel of a railroad track.

He stopped and listened for a moment, partially for any sign of being followed, and also for a town or road. He heard nothing to help him decide which direction to walk, so he went to the right.

The train track was too exposed, but Auggie was afraid to veer from this path. He moved quicker than normal, knowing that the tracks would be clear of debris. But without water, and as little as he had eaten, his energy was waning.

One foot in front of the other. That was all he could let himself focus on. Hopefully this would get him to safety.

He heard an approaching train, and stepped away from the tracks. The train got louder as it approached, and Auggie thought that the frequency of trains was a good sign - there must be a busy city nearby. Hopefully he was going toward it.

Distracted by his thoughts and deafened by the train, he didn't notice the man approaching him until the a fist landed in his gut, knocking him over. Auggie put up a brief fight, but before the train was finished passing, he was handcuffed and defeated, sitting by the tracks.

...

...

_**A/N **_

_**I was unfulfilled by the ending of She Believes (513) because I wasn't surprised. Cutting to a few seconds earlier, with Auggie alone, walking down the railroad tracks, apparently having gotten free, would have been so much better. **_

_**So consider this my head-cannon. **_


End file.
